Stringed musical instrument



May 9, 1933.

M. MACCAFERRI 1,908,613

STRINGED MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 16, 1932 er stringed instrumentsof a like nature,

Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRINGE-D MUSICALINSTRUMENT Application filed February 16, 1932, Seria1 No.

This invention relates to stringed instruments having sounding boards ortheir equivalents, and particularly, although not exclusively, toguitars, violins, mandolins and othand has for its principal object toincrease the volume of sound emitted by such instruments and to enhancethe projecting or carrying power of the instruments and to improve theirtone.

One object of the invention is to construct an improved musicalinstrument with an auxiliary sounding-box, chamber or the like locatedbeneath the sounding board or harmonic or vibrating base or soundingboard of the instrument so that the normal sounding-box, belly, or bodyof the instrument includes behind or within it an auxiliarysounding-boxfixed to or integral with the sounding board, harmonic-tableor the like.

I Other objects of the invention relate to means for reflecting ordirecting the sound from the outer and inner sounding-boxes,

chambers or the like along the channels or the line to openings, in thesounding board, so that the sound waves pass through the sound holes.These reflecting or directing means may have any suitable shape, forexample they may be of cup shape or have doubleourved walls, and in somecases the sound from one of the sounding-boxes may be directed in theopposite direction to the sound from the other sound-box.

In order that the invention may be better understood, it will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1shows an elevation partly in section of a guitar-like musical instrumentconstructed according to the invention, and

Fig. 2 shows a side sectional elevation of Fig. 1, the same referencenumbers thereon referring to like parts in the figures.

In the drawing, 3 is the sounding board of the main sounding-box orchamber i of the instrument which has the ordinary sound opening 5therein. This sounding board is generally referred to as the harmonicmember and embodies the bridge 3 over which the strings pass undertension.

593,269, and in Great Britain April 9, 1931.

a channel or space 7 is left around the sides and base of the saidauxiliary box, or between its exterior and the interior of the normalsounding-box 4.

A curved reflector or director 8 is formed from a suitable piece andlocated to direct the sound from the space 7 to the opening 5.

The auxiliary sounding-box or chamber 6 has its base or side extended at9 to form a curved reflector or directing part suitably located withrelation to the reflector 8 so as to afford an opening leading into ortowards the hole 5. By means of these reflectors the sound from theauxiliary sounding-box or chamber 6 is directed through the hole oropening 5.

It will be realized that other openings from the inner sounding-box orchamber to the exterior may be provided, for example the harmonic-tableor face-wall may have openings therein, communicating directly with theinterior of the said auxiliary soundingbox or chamber. In certain cases,however, it is preferred that the sound from the auxiliarysounding-chamber or box should be directed to the same sound opening oropenings as those from the normal or main soundin gbox or chamber.

Stifiening bars (not shown in the drawings) may be used in a well-knownmanner to keep the shaped parts from distortion.

Although the invention has been described as more particularly appliedto a guitar-like instrument, it will be obvious that it may as readilybe applied to instruments of the violin class.

In the case of a piano or banjo, the sounding-box may be arranged as inthe guitar which is shown on the accompanying drawings, and thisarrangement applies to all 95 stringed instruments whatsoever.

Further, although the invention has been more particularly describedwith reference to mainsounding-boxes or chambers, these boxes orchambers may be replaced by main sounding-boards or the like. Forexample,

in place of a closed main chamber, a main sounding-boardmay be used andin con]unction therewith, an inner chamber or box may be utilized indesired proximity to sound openings, where provided.

The invention is not limited to the precise forms or details ofconstruction described, as these may be varied to suit particular cases.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates of America 1. A stringed musical instrument comprising a box-likestructure, one Wall of which constitutes a sounding-board, a bridge onsaid wall, means for tensioning the strings over said bridge, an innersounding-box secured to the under side of said sounding-board and ofsuch a size as to leave a comparatively narrow channel around said innersoundingbox on three sides, an aperture on another side Wall of saidinner box and an aperture in the adjacent portion of said soundingboard.

2. A stringed musical instrument comprising a sounding-board, a bridgesecured thereto over which the strings pass, an outer sounding-boxassociated with said soundingboard, an inner sounding box carried bysaid sounding-board within said outer soundingbox, apertures in saidinner and outer sounding-boxes and reflecting means within the outersounding box located so as to direct the sound emanating from the innersounding-box to the outside of the instrument.

3. A stringed musical instrument comprising inner and outersounding-boxes arranged one within the other, a bridge on the outer facewall of the outer sounding-box over which the strings pass, an aperturein the side wall of the inner sounding-box leading into the outer box, areflector within the outer sounding box opposite said aperture and anaperture in said outer face wall through which the sound passes to theoutside of the instrument.

4. A stringed musical instrument comprising inner and outersounding-boxes, the former of broadly four sided form and of such a Sizeas to leave a channel-like space between itself and the outersounding-box on three sides, an aperture across the fourth side of saidinner sounding-box, a curved reflector within the outer sounding box andopposite said aperture, a bridge fixed to one face wall of the outersounding-box and an aperture in said face wall opposite said curvedreflector.

5. A stringed musical instrument comprising a sounding-board, a bridgefixed to said sounding-board over which the strings pass, an outersounding-box associated with said sounding-board and of which the latterforms one wall, an inner sounding-box of dish form secured under saidsounding-board so that the latter forms one wall of said innersounding-box, a comparatively long and narrow aperture near the lowerportion of one side wall of said inner sounding box, a curved reflectorelement surrounding said aperture formed b a projecting lip on saidinner soundingx, a separate curved reflector opposite said aperture andan aperture in the sounding-board opposite said separate curvedreflector.

6. The combination with a musical instrument having several stringsstretched between a tensioning device and a bridge, of a sounding board,an outer sounding-box one wall of which is comprised by said board, aninner soundin -box of dish form secured under said sounding board sothat the latter forms one wall of said inner box, said inner box havingfour main sides three of which lie comparatively close to the outer box,an aperture on the fourth side of said box extending along the loweredge of said side, an extended lip on the under face wall of said innerbox with a curved forward portion, an aperture in the sounding-boardnear the aperture in the inner box and a reflector within the outersounding box to direct the sound leaving the inner box to the aperturein the sounding board.

7. A stringed musical instrument comprising inner and outersounding-boxes, means for supporting and tensioning the instrument.

strings, a bri ge over which the strings pass and by which thevibrations of the strings are communicated to said sounding-boxes, anaperture in the inner sounding-box leading into the outer sounding-box,a further aperture in the latter box and a reflector disposed to directthe sound leaving the inner sounding box to the outside of theinstrument.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

MARIO MACCAFERRI.

